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Maintaining good mental health is important for everybody. That’s why during this year's Mental Health Awareness Week, held from Monday May 5 to Sunday May 11, Alberta Health Services (AHS) is offering advice on staying mentally healthy.

Alberta Mental Health Services Mental Health Promoter Pam Kollross said the main purpose of Mental Health Awareness Week is to promote mental health and to try reduce the the stigma that is attached to mental illness.

“Mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of,” Kollross said. “At one time in their lives most people know of someone who is or are suffering from some sort of mental health issue.”

According to the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), one in five Canadians under the age of 65 copes with some form of mental health illness. That represents 6.5 million Canadians.

Although Kollross said it is okay to talk about mental health. This year AHS is going one step further and offering practical tools to help maintain good mental health by publishing daily tips through social media as well as traditional media outlets.

Day one focuses on food and good nutrition.

Kollross said it has been proven that food can affect people's moods.

“Eat healthy,” she said. “Food that is good for your physical body is also good for your emotional well being.”

Other daily tips include, exercise, listening to your favourite music, doing good deeds for other people and expressing gratitude for everything that is good in your life.

However, Kollross’s favourite tip is the one for day three, “Be Yourself.'

“Feel good about yourself. Everyone is unique and people should celebrate that,” Kollross said.

To help people do that AHS is challenging people to use Facebook, Twitter and other social media to post three things that they like about themselves and a selfie

Kollross said all the tips AHS offered during Mental Health Awarness Week all share a common theme.

“It is just about being healthy,” Kollross said. “Many people are familiar with the term risk factors, but we are starting to turn the tables and talk about protective factors.”

She said people should ask themselves what can they do to protect themselves against poor mental health.

“We know that when people are good to themselves and take care of themselves they are building up protective factors,” Kollross said. “These protective factors are important in maintaining positive mental health.”

If those protective factors are not enough and people think they might need some help, Kollross said there are a number of resources for people to call upon.